[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by ton80

6/12 is the roof pitch. 6 inches is the roof rise over the span of 12 inches. The Villages roofs are more like a rise of 3 or 4 inches over the span of 12 inches. If the rule is safety harness if 6/12 or higher, the roof was not subject to mandatory safety harness.

My last house in NC was 3 stories and 12/12 roof so when the the roof was replaced all workers wore safety harnesses

The OSHA rule as it applies, is "absolute height" (6') with some consideration given to "pitch", as to how & what "fall protection" protocol applies.

ChatGPT isn't always right, but in this case, it's close to 99% accurate in my opinion.

According to OSHA’s fall protection standard (29 CFR 1926.501), if you are working on a flat roof that is 7 feet off the ground, fall protection is required.

Required Fall Protection for a Flat Roof at 7 Feet

Since the work is above 6 feet, OSHA requires one of the following fall protection methods:
1. Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS)
• Includes a full-body harness, lanyard, and anchor point rated for fall protection.
2. Guardrail System
• A standard railing (42 inches high) along all unprotected edges.
• Must have a top rail, mid-rail, and toe board if materials could fall off the edge.
3. Safety Net System
• Nets placed as close as possible to the working surface to catch falling workers.
4. Warning Line System + Safety Monitor (For Roofing Work Only)
• A warning line (set at least 6 feet from the roof edge) made of ropes, chains, or barriers.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by ton80

6/12 is the roof pitch. 6 inches is the roof rise over the span of 12 inches. The Villages roofs are more like a rise of 3 or 4 inches over the span of 12 inches. If the rule is safety harness if 6/12 or higher, the roof was not subject to mandatory safety harness.

My last house in NC was 3 stories and 12/12 roof so when the the roof was replaced all workers wore safety harnesses

Thank you

[gorillarick]

My home in TV is 6/12 ( 26.57 degrees from horizontal). I feel pretty safe on it.
Seems to be the norm in this area.

[VAtoFLA]

Let's not get this thread closed down. Both @BrianL99 and @SkylightRoofing are being professional and courteous in their disagreement. I am interested and learning and would like to see it come to a conclusion even if that's just an agreement to disagree.

Current question as I see it is to @SkylightRoofing. Is there a reason that 29 CFR 1926.501 does not apply in your case for roof's above 6 feet regardless of pitch?

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by gorillarick

Yeah, I spent my career in industry - weekly safety meetings, lectures, classes. I can't believe absolutely no one wears eye protection here. Workers, both private (miniscule) companies, and TV contractors/employees using blowers, power tools, etc. etc.
And hearing protection? Unheard of.

ps: great quote from one of the wisest, one of the very few wise.

I’ve noticed that the grounds crew in The Villages working on lawns and such wear hearing and eye protection when mowing, blowing, etc. Also, pretty much all of them seem to keep almost all skin covered all year ‘round, to protect from skin cancer, I suppose. They also wear highly-visible shirts and use traffic cones.

[Cuervo]

Look I had my roof redone a few months ago and they did a good job. I've seen a number of different companies in the area and the one thing they all have in common is there are no safety protections in place and most of workers do not speak English.
Now are these people doing the work here legally, I do not have a clue, but roofing like most business in this country, profit is the motivation. So, if they have to skirt a few precautions or turn a blind eye who their employees are to meet their goal they will do so.
Surprise, Surprise!

[Heytubes]

Years ago I owned a skylight business in Atlanta and we, including myself, only wore fall protection on government jobs. Working on 10/12 and 12/12 pitch roofs we had cougar paw shoes and 2by4’s, except for metal roofs where we used fall protection. We’ve tripped many times over the lines than not when having to work around the penetrations. Also, foam rubber was a great comfort. These roofs in Florida make me envy the roofers that have very little pitch to deal with.

[Andyb]

Originally Posted by CarlR33

Brian, sorry to hear this and not uncommon in the residential roofing industry across the country. I would suggest you contact the (edited) Tampa OSHA office if you want to. I do occupational safety for a living so it does pain me to see individuals and companies act in this manner. I was told by the OSHA Midwest office this is not a high priority compliance issue for them so good luck maybe the (edited) Tampa office feels differently.
Access Denied

Contacting OSHA will raise roof prices and delay jobs. You will not be liked after that. Just saying.

[Rocksnap]

I’ve ALWAYS seen safety harnesses on the guys when installing roof trusses. But no harness on our lightly pitched roofs once the plywood sheathing goes down. Makes total sense.
Remember the acting Secret Service Kimberly Cheadle lying under oath in front of the PA Committee of the assassination attempt at the rally in Butler, PA? When she said no agents on the roof where the shooter was, as it was too steep and not safe? It was about a 2/12 slope? Almost non existent.

[ithos]

Stats from 2022.

Residential roofing contractors experienced 33 fatal injuries, a 6.5% increase from 2021. The data shows 27 of those deaths were caused by a fall, trip or slip – nearly 82%.

Roofing Has Second Highest Workplace Fatality Rate in the U.S. | Roofing Contractor

But is the solution to implement regulations that would significantly reduce productivity which may result in additional unintended consequences?

[Safety Ranger]

I was a 30 year Occupational Safety and Health Specialist as well, and FP was my pet peeve... Workers way underestimate the possible consequences from a fall from heights.. (and neither do their employers).

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I never paid much attention to roofing in TV, but I'm watching Skylight Roofing do a roofing job, right now.

6 guys on a roof, with no "Fall Protection". I've yet to hear a word of English being spoken, but that's only anecdotal and incidental.

How do these roofers get away with ignoring OSHA standards? 29 CFR 1926.501 mandates "fall protection" if you're on a roof, above 6' The only way to get around it, would be to have a site specific safety plan, that proves it's "safer not to provide fall protection" (a fairly difficult argument to make.

I can't believe their Worker's Comp Insurance Co. doesn't mandate proper safety protocols.

Happens to be a trigger point with me, as we're currently involved in a situation, where a worker fell from a roof. Worker's Comp has already paid out $272,000 and a 27 year old man, will never work again. Lucky for us, we had insurance, fall protection was in place and the worker was wearing a safety harness. Unlucky for him, the harness failed.

Bet that none of the installers is a direct employee of the roofer and is sub contracted out.

[coleprice]

Before signing a contract to have a construction project performed on your property, you should/MUST check the contract to ensure that the Contractor has Insurance, including but not limited to Workmans Comp and Liability. Also, the Contractor should indemnify you and hold you harmless should someone be injured on your property. These protections shouldn't be an issue since you have no control over the work being performed and/or the Workers. Your home owner's insurance should never have to pay a penny if you have the foregoing protections unless someone is injured on your property and the Contractor goes out of business and their insurance fails to cover an event.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by kkingston57

Bet that none of the installers is a direct employee of the roofer and is sub contracted out.

In this particular case, there we a number of vehicles at the site, with the roofing company logo on the trucks.

I don't know about Florida, but in most states, a Contractor is responsible for the actions of his sub-contractors.

[jjombrello]

And have you ever seen a golf course worker wearing a hard hat? Golf balls can be fatal missiles, yet the workers go unprotected whether mowing or working sand traps.